Trouser topping apparatus



April 13, 1965 F. H. RlCHTERKESSING 3,178,084

TRQUSER TOPPING APPARATUS 3 SheetsSheet 1 Filed March 12, 1962 ATTORNEY April 13, 1955 F. H. RICHTERKESSING 3,178,084

TROUSER TOPPING APPARATUS Filed March 12, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 l \ll llllllllllilllll INVENTOR FRANK H FUCHTERKESSNG BY N ATTORNEY April 1955 F. H. RICHTERKESSING 3,178,084

TROUSER TOPPING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 12, 1962 .I m Ari/F INVENTOR FRANK H .RiCHTERKESSlNG Z no United States Patent 3,173,084 TROUSER TUQPHNG AiiARATUS Frank H. Richterlressiug, Louisville, Ky, assiguor to W. M. Cisseil Manufacturing Company, Louisville, Ky, a corporation of Kentucky Filed Mar. 12, 1962, Ser. No. 3 3,627 3 Claims. (til. 223-73) This invention relates to garment finishing apparatus and more particularly to a trouser topping apparatus in which the several structural parts and the functions performed thereby are coordinated to permit a more satisfactory output of work, both as to quality and quantity, and at the same time to relieve the operator of undue fatigue.

An object of the invention is to provid a trouser topping apparatus having its electrical control mechanisms located at an optimum position for the convenience of the operator and shielded against adverse effects from the steam and heated air employed in the machine.

Another object is to provide a trouser topping apparatus including means for rapidly adjusting air pressures to the demands of garments under treatment.

A further object is to provide an improved waistexpander for a trouser topping apparatus.

Other objects and advantages will become more apparent as the description proceeds and when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one form of trouser topping apparatus embodying the invention and showing the pleat-setters in lowered position as well as the accessibility of the controls for the operator.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 taken from the rear and with the pleat-setters shown in elevated position.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 showing the steam system of the machine.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the apparatus with the top cover removed and with parts broken away and omitted for clarity.

FIG. 5 is a sectional View taken on line 55 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 4 and to a larger scale.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a steam heated buck, and

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of portions of the buck and waist-expander shown in relation to the air duct por tion of the housing.

In accordance with the invention, a trouser topping apparatus is provided with a hollow housing through which steam and hot air can be selectively supplied at the direction of the operator and with the air pressure being regulated at the choice of that operator. The housing has attached thereto a buck for supporting the trousers at the waist band region thereof and a waist-expander is provided, the operation of which is governed by the operator while standing at the front or" the apparatus. The automatic controls for the steam and air supply are located on the housing adjacent the control for the waist-expander, and a control for regulating the air pressure also is mounted on that housing within easy reach of the operator. All electrical controls are so mounted and shielded as to be unaffected by the steam and hot air. In addition, pleatsetters are mounted upon the housing for movement by the operator standing in a position adjacent the other controls, and these pleat-setters at no time will interfere with access to the several controls for the apparatus.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the apparatus may include a generally vertical hollow housing comprising a base 10 adapted to rest on a floor and with parallel side walls 11 and 12. A generally vertical back wall 13 and a sloping front wall14, contributing both to stability and to increase of working space, complete the vertical housing and thus provide a generally rectangular opening 15 (FIG. 4) at the upper end thereof. Suitably attached to the vertical portion of the housing is a generally horizontally extending air duct portion comprising a single sheet having a right hand side wall 16, a left hand side wall 17 and a curved front wall 18. These side walls converge toward each other, as best seen in FIG. 4-, and the back wall 13 is extended to form the back wall of the air duct portion.

A flat floor plate 19 for the air duct extends forwardly from the upper edge of wall 14 and terminates adjacent the junction of side walls 16 and 17 with the curved front wall 18 thus to form a downwardly directed opening 2% through which heated air is to pass. In addition, a flat cover plate 21 is affixed to the top edges of the rear wall 13, and the walls 16, 17 and 18 of the air duct and with a suitable gasket being interposed therebetween to confine steam and air against escape between the confronting parts.

As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 8, an improved buck and cooperating bag assembly is supported from the air duct front wall 13 and extends downwardly therefrom. This buck and bag assembly forms no part of the present invention since many different forms of buck and bag could be used. However, the preferred form of buck and bag is more fully disclosed and is claimed in copending application, Serial No. 199,032, filed May 31, 1962, and as signed to the same assignee as the present application. In general, the preferred buck used with this invention will include a bifurcated and perforated metallic member 25, having a convex outer surface conforming closely to the proper cut of the trousers to be finished. A resilient perforated pad 26 with an asbestos cloth 27 between that pad and the convex surface of the metallic buck and with another asbestos cloth 28 holding the pad in place upon the buck, may also be used. Suitably attached to the cloth 28 is an expandible fluid-pervious bag 29, FIG. 1, which is mounted with its entrance mouth surrounding the opening 21 of the air duct and with its expansible rear waist portion 29A (FIG. 8) being disposed beneath and adjacent the bottom of the air duct portion of the housing. Also, the upper edge of the bag supporting cloth 28 may conveniently be detachably clamped to the curved wall 18 as by a concave clamp band 30 and suitable screws or the like.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3 and 7, the buck 25 and the bag 29 are adapted to receive a supply of conditioning steam under a suitable automatic control and to moisten thereby the trousers supported upon the buck and bag. In addition, the buck is adapted to be heated from a steam source independently of the moistening of the garment. Moreover, the air supplied to the buck is to be heated by passage across a steam radiator. Various arrangements for supplying such steam may be used with the present invention. However, the preferred arrangement includes a steam system as more fully described and claimed in copending application Serial No. 180,069, filed March 12, 1962, and assigned to the same assignee as the present application; In general, when used with the present invention such a steam system includes an inlet pipe 35 entering a steam separator 36 and from the lower end of which separator a conduit 37 leads steam and condensate through a radiator 38 mounted within the vertical portion of the hollow housing above described, and above an inwardly offset air directing wall 31. Condensate and steam issuing from the radiator are directed to a collector 39 and thence through an outlet line 40 to the return for the main steam system equipped with 3 the .usual steam trap (not shown). Extending downwardly from the collector is a condenser 41 adapted to remain substantially filled with condensate to provide a pressurized water supply for a waterspray gun 32. From the lower portion of the condenser, a conduit 42, con trolled by valve 43, extends 'to an outlet 44. To this outlet, the waterspray gun '32, such as shown in United States Patent No. 2,513,676, issued on July 4, 1950, is attached foruse in preconditioning garments. 'From the upper portion of separator 36 stream under the inlet line pressure passes through a first buck heating conduit 45, thence through the continuous convolutions 46, 4'7 and 48 distributed over the inner concave face of the buck, and thence through the return conduit 49; This return conduit lies on the upper surface of floor plate 19 of the air duct and passes through the lower partition section 50 against which the darnper, later to be described, is

'noid valve 54. Upon reaching the buck this conduit connects with a header 55 leading into perforated spray pipes 56 and 57 through which conditioning steam is vented into the bag surrounding that buck. Both the conduit 53 and the return conduit 49 are mounted immediately under the cover plate 21 for the air duct andpass through the upper partition section 58 upon which the damper is pivoted, thusto avoid requirement for insulation.

Considering now FIGS. 2 and 3, a blower 60 having inlets61 and 62, is mounted'in the housing near the base 10 and is driven'by an electric'motor 63 through a belt or the like covered by shield 64. This blower forces air upwardly of the housing above the wall 31 and across the steam radiator 38. From an electrical junction box 65 mounted on the top rear portion of wall 13 an armoured cable leads to motor 63 and another such cable 67 leads to solenoid valve 54. Extending'forwa'rdly from the junction box through the air duct portion of the housing is a hollow'tube :68, the forward end of which passes through back Wall 69 of the sealed control chamber 70. This chamber which is located immediately above the opening 20 has an imperforate floor 71 above that opening so'thatstea'm and-hot air passing into the bag will not contact the electrical switches and wiring which are mounted in that chamber. Tube 68 also passes through the stationary upper partition 58 on which the damper is pivoted and does not interfere with the action of that damper. As shown in FIG. 1, the surface of curved wall 18 confr'or'itin'g the operator of the machine mounts .a closely spaced array of control buttons 72, 73 and 74, the switches and electrical connections of which are .disposed in the chamber 70. Although that location of these control buttons in a cluster readily accessible for inspection and manual operation by the operator and without lost motion on his part, forms'an important feature of the present invention, the precise circuits controlled thereby need not necessarily be considered as a part thereof since many such circuits-could be used without departing from the broader aspects of this invention. However, the preferred electrical circuits and component elements include means for automatic presteaming, for automatic heated air supplying, and for cancelling of the automatic copending application Serial No. 189,918, filed April 24, 1962, and assigned to the same assignee as the present application. V

As is known inthe utilization of trouser topping apparatus, the finishing of trousers having pleats at the waistband region frequently entails time-consuming steps of operation. Pleated trousers may require more prestearning; the pleats have to be carefully laid; and the laid pleats which are so located as to preserve the. efiicient clustering .of the aforementioned electrical controls as well'as the damper control and the waist-expander control member later to be described. Various forms of pleat-setters may be used with the present invention but it is preferr'ed'to employ a pair of pleat-setters as more fully described and claimed in copending application, Serial No. 190,008, filed April 25, 1962, and assigned to the same assignee as the present application. As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, these pleat-setters may include a pair of generally oval shaped plates 80 and 81 having concave inner faces cycles at will, all as more fully described and claimed in r adapted to clamp with a predetermined pressure against the convex front faces of the buck and bag assembly and to hold the laid pleats in proper position during the finishing of the trousers. These plates are respectively attached by means of adjustable ball joints 82 and 33 to tubular levers 84 and 85, the rear ends of which are engaged in bosses on counterweights 86' and 87. These 'counterweights in turn are pivotally mounted for free motion on stationary axles 83 and S59 projecting laterally from the side Walls of the air duct adjacent the rear wall of the housing. The counterweights'bias the plates into a normal upward position well above the buck, as shown in FIG. 2, and at which location the operator has ready visual and normal access to all of the aforementioned controls.' Slotted arcuate guides 90and 91 mounted on the sides of the air duct serve to limit upward movement of the levers and to bring the plates into predetermined clamping relation to the buck when such plates are pulled downwardly by the operator grasping the handles 92 and 93 provided at the ends of the'respective levers. When the plates are in their lowered position the above-mentioned access-to in FIG. 1. a

In normal operation the blower supplies air at a constant volume and pressure through opening 15 into the air duct, but this air pressure which may be appropriate when finishing heavy fabrics or suede, chamois, or leathertrimmed trousers, may be found to be excessive when handling lighter weight fabrics or fabrics which have become thin through w'ear.

In accordance with the invention, the operator is provided with a r'eadilyac'ce'ssible control for adjusting'the pressure of the air leaving the air duct through opening 20 and as best shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and'6, this control may comprise 'a damper normally resting in closed position over a rectangular aperture in the lower partition section 50;- the aperture being indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 6'. The partition may conveniently beformed of a single sheet of metal bent into V-shape and with the apex 191 of the bent sheet facing upstream and forming a recess on the downstream side against which the damper may be pivotally mounted with a knife edge bearing thereupon. Suitable pins 162 and 103 support the damper for its pivotal'movement and when occupying its closed position the damper lies flush against the downstream surface of thelower section of the partition. Apertures 95, 96 and 97 are provided in the partition for reception of the respective steam conduits 49, 53 and 45 and the tube 68 for the electrical wiring also passes through an aperture in the partition as seen in FIG. 6. It will be understood that the partition isafifixed to the side walls 16 and Not the air duct and that the top edge of the upper section 58 of the partition lies in the same plane as the tops of'those walls. The top plate 21 of the air duct rests upon the top edges of such walls and U-shaped gaskets as indicated at 165, 106 and 107 provide a tight seal between the respective confronting surfaces. Similar the controls is likewise achieved, as seen gaskets are provided for the top edges of wall 69 of the control chamber, the curved front Wall 18 of the air duct, and the rear wall 13 of the housing. Accordingly, as blower 65 is operated, air under pressure is forced against damper 18% causing it to rise and such air then passes through opening it into the mouth of the bag 25. The invention, however, provides for reduction, whenever desired, of the pressure of such air entering the bag by causing the damper to assume a setting which throttles the air flow through the aperture in the lower section of the partition. For this purpose, a rotatable shaft 119 is mounted in the walls of the air duct and with its axis generally parallel to the pivoted axis of the damper and downstream therefrom. Projecting from the shaft is an abutment 111 against which the damper is raised into contact during the supplying of air by the blower. A crank 112 is attached to the shaft externally of side wall 16 and is located within each reach of the operator standing in front of the apparatus. A suitable holding means such as a compression spring 113 mounted between an abutment on the shaft and the stationary wall 17 serves to hold the shaft and its abutment in a predetermined angular position after the shaft setting is once established, but permits ready damper readjustment when required. The damper thus rises automatically from its closed position whenever blower 69 is operated and falls to closed position when that blower comes to rest and the pressure of the air entering the bag will automatically be governed by the setting of crank 112 since the blower operates at constant speed.

Referring now to FIG. 8, the waist-expander mechanism includes a bracket 12% pivotally mounted upon a vertically arranged pin 121 the upper end of which is attached to a slide 122. This slide is mounted for movement longitudinally within a slotted guide 123 which, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, is rigidly attached to the underside of floor 19 of the air duct. The rearward end of the guide is attached to wall 14 of the housing with an opening through that wall for receiving the thin metallic strip 125 of the retracting means which is shown as extending from the left of FIG. 8 and is now to be described. Mounted upon the interior rear wall 13 of the housing, as shown in FIG. 1, and approximately in prolongation of the slotted guide 123, is a bracket 124 supporting a metallic retracting means, such as the Negator type of spring assembly, and including a drum of convolutely wound thin strip material 125 adapted to provide a constant retracting force throughout its working range of defiection which for purposes of the present invention may be about one foot. This strip 125 has its forward end attached to slide 122.. The extent of movement of the slide rearwardly is limited by the bag 29 which is engaged upon the bracket 12% and when trousers are emplaced on the bag with the waist band fastened, such waistband then limits the rearward movement of the slide. However, a constant and uniform waist-expanding force is applied to the trousers regardless of the peripheral size of their Waist bands.

The strip material is unaffected by the heated air rising through the vertical housing, and, in view of the damper action, this strip material is also shielded from contact with steam which otherwise might blow back into the vertical housing. As will be noted, the tensioned strip normally urges the bag into expanded condition beneath the air duct and toward the vertical housing, thus contributing to compactness of the apparatus.

Passing now to FIGS. 4 and 5 the iioor it) is formed with an opening 126 into the space within the slotted guide and through which a latch 12? normally projects under the bias of a torsion spring 323 mounted upon a bracket 129. The latch is pivotally mounted on that bracket and is attached to an elongated rod 130 extending through the front wall 18 of the air duct. At its outer end this rod carries a hand-operated waist-expander control member such as a knob 131. In accordance with the invention, this knob'is located in close proximity to the electrical control buttons as best seen in FIG. 1.

The slide 122 is provided on its upper face with an indentation (not shown) into which the lower end of latch 127 will engage in latching relation, as when the knob 131 is resting in its normal position and when the slide is pulled toward the buck by the operator. The latch, however, will be disengaged from the slide whenever the knob 331 is pushed inwardly to pivot that latch upon its mounting bracket against the restoring action of spring 128. When such disengagement occurs, the tension upon strip pulls the slide 122 and its depending bracket 12%) to the rear and expands the bag 29 until limited either by that bag alone, or by the waistband of the trousers upon the bag. The operator when desiring to collapse the bag, as at the end of a trouser finishing operation, will place a hand against the bracket 12% and pull the bag toward the buck at which time the slide 122 moves forward in guide 123 until it again engages with the latch 127 projecting through the opening 126.

Having thus described the apparatus, the several advantages thereof will now be apparent to those skilled in the art and desirous of producing an optimum output of work without undue fatigue to the operator. In contrast with conventional apparatus in which foot-operated controls are used, the present invention is employed with hand-operated controls all located at a convenient working height, for example, above five feet from the floor and near the normal eye level. Lost motion on the part of the operator is substantially, if not entirely, eliminated. The operator is not required to maintain his hand upon any control during the finishing of the trousers and thus may assume a relaxed position, or may conduct other useful work during the topping of those trousers. Furthermore, full advantage may be taken of the capabilities of the several inventions embodied in the pleat-setters, automatic electrical controls, buck and "oag assembly, and steam system while simultaneously utilizing the manual controls described herein for operating the Waist-expander and the air pressure damper. The coordination of these features, moreover, results in a compact apparatus.

The operation of the apparatus may be described briefly as follows. With the bag collapsed and the buck in heated condition, a pair of trousers is placed upon the bag and the waist-expander is operated to shape the trousers to the confines of its waistband. When the trousers have no pleats and when the setting of the damper is commensurate with the requirements of the fabric of those trousers, the operator merely pushes buttons '72, 73 and 74 to accomplish the desired finishing of the top portion of the trousers, all of which may occur in a matter of less than a minute. After this, the Waist-expander is moved forward, the trousers are removed from the bag and then passed on to the next station for pressing the leg creases therein. When the trousers have pleats, they are first placed upon the buck and the waist-expander is operated, followed by a short presteaming period after which the pleats are laid and the pleat-setters are lowered to hold the laid pleats in place. The heated air is then supplied automatically to finish the top of the trousers with the pleats in their proper position, after which the pleat-setters are raised, the waist-expander moved forward, and the trousers removed from the bag and passed to the next station.

If a pair of Worn trousers, or trousers of fragile material, are to be finished and the air pressure setting of the damper would likely endanger the trousers, the operator may quickly and easily adjust the setting of crank 112 to accommodate the apparatus to this particular situation and then processses the trousers in the manner described above, all Without moving from his normal station in front of the apparatus.

Having thus described the invention, it will be apparent that modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such modifications or variations as [fall within thetrue spiritand scope of the invention. What is claimed is:

1.' Trouser topping apparatus comprising in combination; a generally vertical ho-llow'housing having a base portion adapted to rest upona Hour and a generally horizontal air duct portion extending from said vertical portion at a convenient Working height above the floor; said duct including a front 'wall adapted to confront an operator of the apparatus, a bottom with a downwardly facing opening adjacent said front wall, and imperforate top and side Walls serving'to direct a'fiow'of air into said opening; a downwardly'extending buck attached to said duct adjacent said front wall, a distendable fiuid-pervious bag supported upon said buck and havingla mouth communicating with said opening and an expansible rear Waist portion disposed beneath and adjacent said air duct between said opening and the vertical housing; a waist-expander comprising a tension spring in the form of a convolutely wound metallicstrip mounted in the interior of said vertical housing and having a 'retra'ctableforward end projecting through the Wall of said housing and beneath said air duct portion, a slide attached to said :forward end of said spring, m'eansfifor guiding said slide for movement longitudinally of said air duct portion, a bracket attached to said slide and disposed within said bag in contact with said rear Waist portion thereof, means for latching said, slide in a forward position in opposition to said spring and correspondin'g'to a collapsed condition of said bag, and hand-operated control means for releasing said latch;

' means for supplying air under pressure into'said bag,

said horizontal portion and havin an aperture therein, a damper pivotally mounted upon said partition and normally closing said aperture and being movable to open position under pressure of, said air supplied from said blower means -for' selectivel ad'ustin the extent of s 1 opening movement of saiddamper thereby to throttle the supply of air to said bag and to govern the pressure being mounted upon said front wall of said air duct in a cluster at a conveniently accessible location for an operator.

2. Trouser topping apparatus comprising in combination, a housing having a base portion adapted torest upon a fio0r,.a generally vertical hollow portion, and a generally horizontal hollow portion communicating with said vertiupon said buck and having a mouth communicating with s s said opening, a partition extending across the interior of trical wiringsand iorshielding said wiring from contact with hot airand steam, each of said conduits and said tube being disposed interiorly or said horizontal portion and passing through said partition outside the path of movementot said damper, and hand-operated means mounted upon the exterior forward face of said horizontal portion and connected to the Wiring in said'tube for controlling the supply of conditioning steam to said bag and for controlling the operation of said blower.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 including a chamber positioned in said horizontal housing ortion above said opening and having an imperforate floor and a back Wall attached to said floor and extending between the side walls of said horizontal portion, said Wiring tube extending through said back Wall and said chamber being adapted to house the switches of said hand-operated steam and blower control means and to protect the same from contact with steam and hot air directed into said bag.

References fitted by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 181,272 8/76 Lane 98119 1,809,708 6/31 Kahler et a1. 124-16 1,975,316 10/34 Ferris 98-119 X 2,232,981 2/41 Swanson 981 19 X 2,284,232 5/42 Richa 223-47 2,696,272 8/52 Platt 2237O X 2,647,743 8/53 Cook 267-4 2,723,785 1 1/55 Moore 223-73 2,780,981 1 2/57 Miller 98-116 X 2,908,427 10/59 Di Fino et a1. 22373 2,931,546 4/60 Bruincr 223+73 3,055,564 9/62 Forse 22-3-73 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

THOMAS LHICKEY, Examiner. 

1. TROUSER TOPPING APPARATUS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION; A GENERALLY VERTICAL HOLLOW HOUSING HAVING A BASE PORTION ADAPTED TO REST UPON A FLOOR AND A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL AIR DUCT PORTION EXTENDING FROM SAID VERTICAL PORTION AT A CONVENIENT WORKING HEIGHT ABOVE THE FLOOR; SAID DUCT INCLUDING A FRONT WALL ADAPTED TO CONFRONT AN OPERATOR OF THE APPARATUS, A BOTTOM WITH A DOWNWARDLY FACING OPENING ADJACENT SAID FRONT WALL, AND IMPERFORATE TOP AND SIDE WALLS SERVING TO DIRECT A FLOW OF AIR INTO SAID OPENING; A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING BUCK ATTACHED TO SAID DUCT ADJACENT SAID FRONT WALL, A DISTENDABLE FLUID-PERVIOUS BAG SUPPORTED UPON SAID BUCK AND HAVING A MOUTH COMMUNICATING WITH SAID OPENING AND AN EXPANSIBLE REAR WAIST PORTION DISPOSED BENEATH AND ADJACENT SAID AIR DUCT BETWEEN SAID OPENING AND THE VERTICAL HOUSING; A WAIST-EXPANDER COMPRISING A TENSION SPRING IN THE FORM OF A CONVOLUTELY WOUND METALLIC STRIP MOUNTED IN THE INTERIOR OF SAID VERTICAL HOUSING AND HAVING A RETRACTABLE FORWARD END PROJECTING THROUGH THE WALL OF SAID HOUSING AND BENEATH SAID AIR DUCT PORTION, A SLIDE ATTACHED TO SAID FORWARD END OF SAID SPRING, MEANS FOR GUIDING SAID SLIDE FOR MOVEMENT LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID AIR DUCT PORTION, A BRACKET ATTACHED TO SAID SLIDE AND DISPOSED WITHIN SAID BAG IN CONTACT WITH SAID REAR WAIST PORTION THEREOF, MEANS FOR LATCHING SAID SLIDE IN A FORWARD POSITION IN OPPOSITION TO SAID SPRING AND CORRESPONDING TO A COLLAPSED CONDITION OF SAID BAG, AND HAND-OPERATED CONTROL MEANS FOR RELEASING SAID LATCH; MEANS FOR SUPPLYING AIR UNDER PRESSURE INTO SAID BAG, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING CONDITIONING STEAM INTO SAID BAG, AND HAND-OPERATED CONTROL MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY ACTUATING EACH OF SAID AIR AND SAID CONDITIONING STEAM SUPPLYING MEANS, SAID CONTROL MEANS FOR SAID LATCH RELEASE AND SAID CONTROL MEANS FOR SAID AIR AND STEAM SUPPLYING MEANS BEING MOUNTED UPON SAID FRONT WALL OF SAID AIR DUCT IN A CLUSTER AT A CONVENIENTLY ACCESSIBLE LOCATION FOR AN OPERATOR. 